Jonathan Maberry Quotes

Powerful Jonathan Maberry for Daily Growth

About Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry is an acclaimed American author, journalist, and magazine editor, renowned for his contributions to horror, suspense, thriller, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Born on June 19, 1960, in Munhall, Pennsylvania, Maberry grew up surrounded by the industrial grittiness of Pittsburgh, an environment that would later serve as a rich backdrop for his stories. Influenced by classic works of horror such as Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu," Maberry began writing at a young age, crafting short stories that often blended elements of the macabre with social commentary. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was trained as a combat correspondent, Maberry continued his literary pursuits, earning a Master's Degree in Journalism from Marshall University and embarking on a career in journalism and editing. Maberry's professional writing career took off with the publication of "Glimmung and Other Tales of a Scaly Terror" in 1997, a collection of short stories that showcased his unique blend of horror, humor, and social critique. His breakout novel, "Patient Zero," was published in 2009, marking the debut of his popular Joe Ledger series. The series follows a Department of Military Sciences operative as he battles bioterrorism threats of a supernatural nature. In addition to the Joe Ledger series, Maberry is known for creating the Rot & Ruin series and the V-Wars universe. His works have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel, Best Short Fiction, and Best Nonfiction. Maberry continues to write and contribute to the horror genre, captivating readers with his gripping narratives and vividly imagined worlds.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is the commitment to act despite our fear."

This quote by Jonathan Maberry emphasizes that courage isn't about being fearless, but rather about making a decision to act in spite of fear. It highlights the importance of perseverance and determination in overcoming obstacles and challenges, as fear is a common human emotion that can paralyze us if we let it. In other words, courage is the willingness to push through fear and take action towards our goals.


"The truth is always a monster, and monsters are everywhere."

This quote suggests that truth, in its rawest form, can often be intimidating, complex, or unsettling, much like a monster. It implies that the truth, whether it's about ourselves, others, or the world around us, is not always simple or easy to comprehend. The "monsters" in this case are the challenges, mysteries, and uncomfortable realities we encounter in life. They are omnipresent, serving as a reminder that seeking understanding is an ongoing journey that requires courage and resilience.


"Fear is a tool used by those in power to control us all."

This quote by Jonathan Maberry highlights how fear, when manipulated by those in authority, can be an effective means of controlling society. Fear, as a powerful emotion, can lead people to surrender their autonomy, making them more susceptible to control. It serves as a reminder that we should strive for a culture where freedom from fear is fostered, rather than one where fear is used as a tool to maintain power and control over the masses.


"Every story has multiple truths, and every truth is a story."

This quote by Jonathan Maberry emphasizes that stories contain multiple layers of truth or perspectives. Every narrative, be it in literature, history, or personal experiences, offers an interpretation of events or situations. These interpretations, or 'truths', can vary greatly depending on the individual's point of view, cultural background, and personal biases. The second part of the quote suggests that these truths are themselves narratives or stories, as they involve a sequence of events or ideas that make sense to us. Essentially, Maberry is reminding us that stories not only reflect reality but also shape it, by helping us understand and make sense of complex experiences in our world.


"When you face the darkness, you find out what you're made of. You find the strength that lies within."

This quote by Jonathan Maberry underscores the resilience and inner strength we all possess. When one encounters adversity or difficult times (the "darkness"), it serves as a testament to our character, revealing hidden reserves of courage and fortitude that we didn't know we had. It encourages us to face challenges head-on, trusting in our capacity to endure and grow stronger from the experience.


'V-Wars' is a head-on collision of real-world science, terrorism, special forces action, ethics, politics and an exploration of what defines us as human.

- Jonathan Maberry

Politics, Exploration, Collision

Making playlists can kill a whole afternoon for me. I like building very specific playlists for new writing projects. In a strange way, choosing certain songs is part of the process of plotting the book out. I pick songs that I think with resonate with characters, their personality quirks, relationship dynamics, action scenes, and so on.

- Jonathan Maberry

I Think, Very, Projects, Plotting

Write the best book you can, the one that demands to be written, no matter what genre it is. Even a trend the trades tell you has gone stale can be revitalized by a superb piece of writing. It'll never be revitalized by someone jumping on a trend bandwagon.

- Jonathan Maberry

Trend, Jumping, Superb, Trades

One of the most delightful parts of being a writer is connecting with people via social media. I devote ten minutes out of every writing hour to Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other sites. I don't use assistants for that. It's me and all of my friends, fans, readers, and colleagues on the crazyboat.

- Jonathan Maberry

Other, Devote, Use, LinkedIn

I don't aspire to write like Steve King. Sure, I admire his work, and I think he's a hell of a nice guy; we met shortly after my first Stoker win. I aspire to write like Jonathan Maberry.

- Jonathan Maberry

Admire, Guy, I Think, Jonathan

My 'Rot & Ruin' series is a post-apocalyptic adventure for teens. My 'Joe Ledger' novels are science-based action thrillers for adults. My 'Dead of Night' stories are zombie tales for adults; my 'Pine Deep Trilogy' is classic horror for adults, and I've written nonfiction books on topics ranging from martial arts to folklore.

- Jonathan Maberry

Deep, Pine, Joe, Nonfiction

I write every day. Most weekdays, I write about ten hours a day. That doesn't mean eight hours of surfing the Net or watching videos on YouTube. I park my butt in a chair and write... I learned that writer's block is a myth created by people who don't have, or understand, a writing process.

- Jonathan Maberry

YouTube, Surfing, I Write, Block

When I first encountered the 'Sigma Force' novels - long before I became friends with Jim Rollins - a bookseller told me that these stories were about 'geeks with guns.' While not entirely accurate, that's pretty close to the mark, and that really speaks to me.

- Jonathan Maberry

Guns, Became, Accurate, Geeks

When my writing career took off, it was pretty easy to keep my ego in check because old-school martial arts isn't about ego gratification. It's about maintaining a balanced view of the world and your place in it.

- Jonathan Maberry

Career, About, Your, Maintaining

I have been an Avengers fan since the middle 1960s. I grew up with them, and I've imagined a hundred different versions of an Avengers movie. I think I even have a script I wrote back in eighth grade, 'Avengers vs. the Mole Man.' Truly dreadful, but a work of love.

- Jonathan Maberry

Love, Been, Hundred, Avengers

I wrote a novel, Ghost Road Rules, and as soon as it was done and polished, I began reaching out to agents. I ignored the frequent advice to 'shoot low and try for a low-level agent because they're the only ones that will take a flyer on a new author.' That sounded like bad advice to me.

- Jonathan Maberry

Advice, Bad, Agent, Low-Level

My favorite monster has always been the zombie. They are so much fun. They can be scary, pathetic, sad, funny, tragic, even heroic. They are the most elastic monster because, even with all of that, they don't interfere with telling stories about the humans. They serve as threats and metaphors, but they allow the story to be about people.

- Jonathan Maberry

Been, Allow, Telling, Interfere

When we look at the flowers, we suddenly forget so many important things. We forget that all flowers die. We forget that winter will come again. We forget that nothing really endures and that, like the flowers that die at the end of the growing season, we'll join them in the cold ground.

- Jonathan Maberry

Winter, Die, Cold, Season

When people ask me about what I learned from martial arts, I don't talk about favorite punches or kicks, or about fights won or lost. I talk about learning self-discipline, about ethics and manners and benevolence and fairness.

- Jonathan Maberry

Learning, Punches, About, Martial Arts

When I was in middle school, the librarian there was secretary for a couple of groups of professional writers. She introduced me to Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson, and I became very friendly with them over a period of two years. Both of them were very generous with their time, guidance and advice.

- Jonathan Maberry

Very, Couple, Became, Middle School

My first book deal was actually for a textbook - 'Judo and You' - that I wrote while teaching at Temple University. A scout for Kendall-Hunt came looking for someone to write the book, and even though it wasn't a course I was teaching there, I agreed to write it.

- Jonathan Maberry

Book, University, Deal, Temple

Get your butt in a chair and write. If it comes out weak or bad or clunky or ordinary, then accept that this happens to everyone. Everyone. Get it down, get it done, and fix it in the rewrite. Just like everyone from Stephen King to J. K. Rowling to Chuck Palahniuk does.

- Jonathan Maberry

Down, Bad, Your, Rewrite

If you battle monsters, you don't always become a monster. But you aren't entirely human anymore, either.

- Jonathan Maberry

Always, Monsters, Anymore, Entirely

'Bad Blood' tells the story of Trick, a teenage slacker on the losing side of a fight with cancer. When he's attacked by a vampire, he figures it's game over. Except that the chemo drugs in Trick's blood poison the vampire.

- Jonathan Maberry

Game, Over, Side, Vampire

Wolverine is a world-weary old warrior. His rage issue notwithstanding, I see him as someone with the tortured soul of a poet, but one who has seen too many friends and lovers die. Even with that, he has grown into a leader and a true hero.

- Jonathan Maberry

Leader, Die, Wolverine, Rage

Jim Rollins is the king of the weird science action genre.

- Jonathan Maberry

Science, Weird, King, Jim

With 'Extinction Machine,' I wanted to start some conversations about whether we're alone in the universe and what that might mean.

- Jonathan Maberry

Start, Some, Might, Conversations

Like most writers, I read deeply into the genre in which I write.

- Jonathan Maberry

Most, Which, Read, Genre

By the time I finished the first series, 'Marvel Universe vs. Punisher,' I knew that there was a lot more story to tell.

- Jonathan Maberry

More, Knew, By The Time, Finished

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